[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 52 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1997-H1998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it's now 1:48 p.m. on Thursday
afternoon. Throughout the Nation, folks are finishing the day shift,
getting ready to finish the day shift. People who work the afternoon
shift are getting ready for work. Those who work the night shift are
probably snoozing a little bit so they can get up in a few moments and
start it all over again this evening. And where's the House, Mr.
Speaker? The House has gone home. The House has gone home.
Now, why is that important? Well, we have just finished 2 weeks at
home talking to constituents about issues great and small. They're
concerned about a lot of things, Mr. Speaker. They're concerned about
gas prices. They're concerned about the housing situation. And in my
district, the Sixth District of Georgia, I get constant questions about
national security: What is Congress doing to make certain that our
Nation is safe? And that's important because, Mr. Speaker, today is the
48th day, the 48th day, of a unilateral disarmament on behalf of the
Democrat leadership of the House of Representatives.
Why do I say that? Well, Mr. Speaker, we are at the 48th day now
where the Protect America Act has been allowed to expire. This isn't
going to happen in the future. This has happened. This Speaker, this
Democrat leadership, has allowed the Protect America Act to expire.
Now, what's the Protect America Act? Well, it's an act, a portion of
amendments that were adopted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act shortly after 9/11. And what this portion of it allows that was
allowed to expire is for the United States, our intelligence community,
to listen or intercept electronic communication or phone communication
between a foreign individual in a foreign land talking to a foreign
individual in a foreign land. Not an American citizen, not on American
soil. That means, Mr. Speaker, what they would be allowed to do is to
listen to a potential terrorist or a terrorist talking to another
potential terrorist or a terrorist outside the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I asked every single group that I spoke with at home for
2 weeks, who believes that our intelligence community ought not have
the authority to do that, to listen to a terrorist talking to another
terrorist outside the United States, talking potentially about how to
do you, me, and our
[[Page H1998]]
Nation harm? I didn't find a single individual who didn't think that
was the right thing to do.
But this leadership, this Speaker, this Democrat leadership has
allowed that act to expire. Why? Because they believe that trial
lawyers ought to have the ability to represent foreign individuals in
the same way that the United States Constitution protects Americans.
Mr. Speaker, that's wrong. Many in my district and I believe also
that it's a dereliction of duty. It's an abrogation of duty. It's a
violation of the oath that we take as Members of the House of
Representatives to uphold the Constitution and to protect and defend
the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I call on this leadership, I call on this Speaker, to
allow this House to vote on the Protect America Act, a bill, amendments
that the Senate passed 68-29, in a bipartisan way; a bill that the
majority of this House, the majority, Democrats and Republicans
combined, have said they will support if allowed to vote on the floor.
Mr. Speaker, this is essential to the protection of the United States
of America and to reverse the unilateral disarmament that has come
about because of the leadership of the majority party.
Mr. Speaker, I call on this leadership to bring this bill up as soon
as we come back next week and do the people's business.
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